Strong structures, digital push driving APC’s growth — Yilwatda

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has attributed the party’s expanding membership and electoral competitiveness to its robust internal structures, technology-driven membership system, and transparent approach to party administration.

Speaking during a public presentation in Abuja, Professor Yilwatda said the APC’s adoption of electronic registration has fundamentally strengthened party organisation and mobilisation.

According to him, the digital register gives the party accurate and verifiable data on its members, including their locations and contact details, enabling effective communication, mobilisation, and planning during elections.

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He noted that the system also enhances the credibility of party primaries by ensuring that only duly registered members participate.

“Our electronic registration gives us real-time access to our members. We know who they are, where they live, and how to reach them. This allows us to mobilise efficiently and conduct better, more credible primaries,” he said.

Professor Yilwatda explained that the APC has linked its membership register to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), a move he said has helped to clean and validate the party’s database, eliminate duplication, and improve internal accountability.

On the debate around direct and indirect primaries, the APC chairman clarified that while direct primaries give party members a strong sense of belonging and participation, they are not without challenges.

He cautioned that direct primaries, if poorly managed, can lead to the manipulation and “colonisation” of delegates, limiting voters’ ability to freely vote according to their conscience.

“This is why Nigerians should interrogate why almost all political parties tend to favour indirect primaries,” he said. “The key issue is not the method alone, but the integrity of the process.”

He stressed that the APC remains unique in its flexibility, having successfully conducted primaries through consensus, direct primaries, and indirect primaries, depending on what best serves party unity and internal democracy.

Citing examples, Yilwatda noted that the APC has achieved rare consensus outcomes in multiple states without post-primary litigation.

“We have had situations where all aspirants agreed on a single candidate through consensus. No other party in Nigeria has managed that without ending up in court. Even our presidential primaries were conducted using direct primaries,” he added.

Addressing concerns about the wave of defections into the APC, Professor Yilwatda dismissed claims that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party state.

He said the movement of politicians from opposition parties into the APC is a natural outcome of political competition and organisational strength.

“It is fair because many of those parties are already dying. Their members want to survive politically, and they see the APC as the most organised platform. Just like in a market, people choose what works best,” he said.

He added that the APC’s strength in governance, mobilisation, and internal management has made it attractive to politicians from across the political spectrum, including members of parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party.

The APC currently has about 31 governors and an overwhelming majority of members in the National Assembly. Professor Yilwatda said this dominance reflects voter confidence rather than coercion or exclusion.

On party funding, he emphasised that the APC is owned and sustained by its members, noting that all registered members pay dues used to fund party activities and programmes.

“APC belongs to its members. That is why we do not have a Board of Trustees. Our members fund the party through dues and other legitimate contributions, and that gives them true ownership,” he stated.

Professor Yilwatda concluded by reaffirming the APC’s commitment to internal democracy, transparency, and continuous improvement of Nigeria’s electoral and party systems, describing the party as a model for effective political organisation and governance.